Thwarted Motherhood
by ncfan
Summary: 20 things Kushina was never able to do for Naruto. Written in 20 truths style.


On the poll I have up on my profile, the character combination of Kushina and Naruto was in the lead, so I obliged the voters by writing a oneshot about Kushina and Naruto. If you want to see a certain character combination, you might want to vote; the poll will be up for a very long time.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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Kushina was never able to look into the eyes of her baby and say "hello".

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Kushina was never able to know who Naruto would most take after.

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If Kushina had lived, things concerning Naruto would have been handled much differently. Hardly anyone had ever dared to cross the ANBU captain while she was still alive, but unfortunately no one seemed to remember this after she died. Needless to say, if Kushina had lived, certain people would be finding themselves eating, drinking and breathing through a straw for a _very_ long time.

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Kushina was never able to house Naruto in a decent home and keep him from going hungry and being alone.

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Kushina was never able to tell Naruto who his real father was. She was never able to fill him with dreams of wonder concerning his father's exploits, or comfort him with the assurances that Minato did love him, because Kushina knows that Minato did love their son, that he loved him with a passion that was unwise, loved Naruto with the same love he extended to her, without ever knowing him. She was never able to look down at her baby boy and say _"Your father loved you before he ever knew you. He loved you so much."_

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Kushina was never able to tell her son tales of her birth country. In the long summer nights during her pregnancy, Kushina would think of her father the Sandaime Uzukage and compile a list of stories to tell Naruto when he was old enough. Since she has died, Naruto will never know his mother's heritage.

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Kushina was never able to sing her son to sleep with the lullabies her mother used.

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Kushina was never able to guide Naruto to pay attention in class and apply himself to his studies. Though she herself was a bit scatterbrained as a child, she had never had much trouble in this respect as her son.

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Kushina was never able to say goodbye to Minato, or raise her son to be proud of his father. Thankfully, he was proud of Minato without ever knowing that he was his son.

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Kushina was never able to beat Minato up for sealing the Kyuubi in him in the first place.

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Kushina was never able to shield Naruto from the hatred of the village and save him from the mob beatings and psychological torment inflicted upon him by those who simply did not understand how much they owed to her son.

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Kushina was never able to thank Iruka for protecting her son and keeping the wolves at bay when he could. She was never able to thank him for being a friend to her son, and in the process becoming in Naruto's eyes the father he'd never had.

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Kushina was never able to thank Gaara for understanding Naruto's pain and easing it just by being there. Needless to say, she can't think of anyone more worthy to be Naruto's best friend.

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Kushina was never able to chastise the Sandaime for being so ineffectual, or to berate Jiraiya for walking out when Naruto needed him most.

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Kushina was never able to tell the Kyuubi to go to hell every time he tried to impose his will on Naruto.

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Kushina was never able to comfort Naruto after Sasuke defected and later after Gaara died. She was, however, from her watching spot between the veils raging as much as Naruto after the latter found Gaara's lifeless body.

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She was never able to shed tears of joy after the village finally began to accept Naruto.

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Kushina was never able to give Naruto advice when he began to date Hyuuga Hinata, to quiz the young girl concerning her worthiness to date her precious child, or to finally give the pair her blessing.

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Kushina was never able to stand by her son's side through all his trials, to cheer him on when he succeeded, to console him when he didn't, and to keep his spirits up.

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Kushina was never able to be a mother to Naruto.

There were many things Kushina was never able to do after she died. She didn't want to die; she didn't want to leave her baby all alone. There were many things Kushina didn't want to happen. But most of all, she didn't want to leave Naruto without being able to say "I love you".


End file.
